NC State to add strength coach from UNCW

Kevin Keatts wants N.C. State to be the “best conditioned team in the country.” The new Wolfpack basketball coach have help from a familiar face with that goal next season.

Pat Murphy, the strength and conditioning coach for Keatts’ teams at UNC-Wilmington, is expected to be hired in the same role at N.C. State, according to the Wilmington Star News. Murphy has been UNCW’s head strength and conditioning coach since 2007.

Keatts has already brought assistant coach Takayo Siddle and Thomas Carr, as the the director of basketball operations, to Raleigh from UNCW. There’s still one opening for an assistant coach. Carr is eligible to help recruit while Keatts completes his staff.

Murphy, a former catcher on UNCW’s baseball team, replaces Bob Alejo, who was hired by former coach Mark Gottfried in 2011 but was not retained by Keatts.

Assistant coach James Johnson, who went to college with Keatts, is the only member of Keatts’ staff who didn’t work with him at Wilmington. Keatts led UNCW to two NCAA tournament appearances in three seasons, from 2014-17, before being hired to replace Gottfried last month.

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 4:49 PM with the headline "NC State to add strength coach from UNCW."